As the footman closed the door they heard a sound and Chrissie gasped. ‘Did she just hit her son?’
‘Sounded like it, and about time too. Cook’s got a feast laid out for us, so let’s go and enjoy it.’ The footman grinned at Chrissie. ‘I listened to what was said and it did my heart good to hear you both standing up to that bully. They’ve got another shock coming because I’ve been offered another job and will also be leaving.’
Cook went into a flurry of despair when she heard the news, and it took a while to calm her down. ‘What are we going to do?’ she cried. ‘There is a dinner party for twelve this evening. How can I manage without the help of the girls and you, Mr Andrews?’
‘It will be cancelled,’ the housekeeper informed them as she swept in to the kitchen. ‘Madam is leaving for her house in Bath today and I am to go with her.’
‘But there won’t be anyone to manage the house,’ Cook gasped. ‘Those two men won’t have any idea what to do.’
The footman grinned. ‘It will be chaos, unless they are going to Bath as well.’
‘That house belongs to Madam, and they won’t be joining her. They will have to spend most of their time at their club until they have engaged more staff.’ Mrs Conway turned to Andrews. ‘Madam has insisted that you all be paid in full before leaving.’ She handed the three of them a packet each.
The butler tipped out the coins and frowned. ‘This can’t be right, Mrs Conway.’
‘I was told to include the extra by way of an apology for the way you have been treated.’
‘Would you please thank Madam for us?’ Chrissie asked. She hadn’t been here long enough to receive much, but she was grateful for the money and relieved that Andrews and Pat were being given this extra. At least it showed that someone believed they had told the truth.
It didn’t take long for them to pack their belongings and leave the house. ‘Do you have anywhere to go?’ Andrews asked Chrissie as they walked along the road.
She shook her head and grimaced. ‘No, but I’ll find somewhere. I’m getting used to being thrown out.’
‘Then you must come with us. My eldest sister will find you a bed for the night, then tomorrow you can decide what you are going to do.’
‘That’s very kind of you, but I couldn’t dump an extra person on her. It wouldn’t be right.’
Andrews stopped walking and faced her. ‘Now you look here, my girl, we owe you for saving Pat from that boy and I won’t have you wandering the streets looking for somewhere to sleep.’
‘Please come,’ Pat pleaded. ‘Auntie Helen will be happy for you to stay with us.’
‘Well … just for one night, then.’
‘Good, that’s settled.’ Andrews started walking again. ‘We’ll do a bit of shopping so we don’t turn up empty-handed.’
After buying a joint of mutton and plenty of vegetables they made their way to the house. It was small but in a much better area than the one Chrissie had come from. There was a green space across the road, and although too small and unkempt to be called a park, it gave a feeling of space when you looked out of the front window. Auntie Helen obviously took pride in keeping her home nice, and although she made them very welcome, Chrissie knew her first task the next day would be to find somewhere else to stay. She had intended to remain in London until the spring and then make her way to the countryside, but now she had lost her job it might be better to move out of London sooner than she had planned. There was no doubt that the father and son would lose no time in blackening her name and make finding another job here impossible.
There was a little money in her pocket now and she would have to see how far that would get her.
Chapter Four
When Chrissie looked out of the front window the next morning the piece of ground was filled with people, horses and caravans. ‘What’s all this?’ she asked Pat, who had come to stand beside her.
‘It’s the Travellers. They come almost every year as they start their journey south for the winter. They set up stalls for a couple of days and then move on. Do you want to go and have a look? They make some nice things.’
‘I’d love to.’ She grabbed her coat, an idea already forming in her mind. This might be the answer to her problem.
It was a lively scene, with a lot of shouting and laughter as the locals bartered for the goods on display. None of this interested her, though, as she headed for a man selling baskets.
‘Take your pick,’ he told her, smiling broadly. ‘I’ll do you a good deal.’
She had listened to her father talking about life as a Traveller and knew who to ask for. ‘I’m not here to buy,’ she told him. ‘Would it be possible to speak to the headman of your group?’
‘And why would you want to do that?’ he asked, frowning.
‘I need to ask if I could travel with you for a while. I understand you are heading south, and that’s where I want to go.’
He was now studying her intently. ‘That’s an unusual request. Most young women are afraid of us. They think we can’t be trusted.’
She laughed. ‘You don’t scare me. I come from travelling stock.’
‘Do you now. What’s your name?’
‘Banner.’
He nodded. ‘You’d better come with me.’
When he began to walk away she glanced round and found Pat right behind her. ‘I’m going to see someone, and will come back to the house later.’
Pat nodded, looking slightly worried. ‘Be careful, Chrissie.’
‘I will, don’t you worry about me.’ She had to run to catch the man up.
He looked at her and said, ‘My name’s Sandy, by the way.’
‘Good to meet you. What are my chances of being able to travel with you?’
He just shrugged and kept on walking towards a group of horse-drawn homes. They were elaborately decorated in bright colours and a group of horses were grazing nearby. The sight of them tugged at Chrissie’s heart and she hoped Bessie was happy with her new owners.
‘Pa!’ he called when they stopped by one of the homes. ‘Someone here wants to see you.’
A man appeared at the door and jumped down the steps, extremely spritely for his advanced age. He fixed his gaze on Chrissie. ‘And what might you be wanting to know?’
‘I would like your permission to travel with you as you make your way south. I’m a hard worker and good with horses. I’ll earn my keep.’
His bright blue eyes roamed over her. ‘Why would a young, strong girl like you want to travel with us? What kind of trouble you in? If the law is after you then I’ll tell you straight that we don’t take in troublemakers.’
‘The coppers ain’t after me,’ she told him indignantly. ‘I’m homeless and need a job. I thought I could find a nice big country house needing a servant, but you’re not as friendly as my dad always told me Travellers were.’
‘Your dad knows all about us, does he?’
‘Did. He died a while back.’ She didn’t like this man with the cold eyes and turned to walk away.
‘Wait!’
She glanced over her shoulder and said sarcastically, ‘Don’t you worry; I’ll make it on my own.’
‘Stand still, girl. What’s your name?’
‘Christine Banner.’ She called back as she started walking again. Suddenly he was right in front of her, hands on hips and blocking her path.
Furious now, she turned to Sandy who was watching with interest. ‘Tell your pa to get out of my way or I’ll make him move. He’s too old and rude to be the head of this group. It’s time you put him out to grass.’
The man in front of her burst out laughing; in fact the two men were doubled over with mirth, which made her even more indignant.
Pa straightened up and nodded to his son, then called out, ‘Ma, brew up some tea. We’ve got a guest.’
Chrissie turned and saw an elderly woman standing next to her son, her face wreathed in smiles.
‘You’d better move, Pa,’ she told her husband. ‘S
he’s big and strong enough to make you.’
He stepped aside, still grinning, and the transformation was so marked he looked like a different man. ‘Wipe that scowl off your face, girl, and stay to talk with us. I was just testing to see what you were like. Banner isn’t an uncommon name amongst Travellers and they have a reputation for being feisty. Let’s see if we can help you.’
With a nod she turned and walked up the wooden steps in to the home. It would be daft to walk away without hearing what they had to say.
‘Right,’ Pa said the moment they were settled, ‘tell us about yourself and your family.’
She gave them a brief account of her life so far, why she was looking for a way to travel to the country, and the reason she had left her last job.
‘Sounds like you don’t stand no nonsense,’ Ma remarked. ‘Reckon we can help her, Pa. What do you think, son?’
‘We can’t turn someone away who comes from Traveller stock when they ask for help.’
‘I agree that wouldn’t be right,’ Pa told them. ‘You’ll have to earn your keep, girl. Everyone in this group has to contribute in any way they can.’
‘I’m not afraid of hard work – and the name is Chrissie. I know I’m a girl and don’t have to be reminded.’
A deep chuckle came from Pa as he glanced at his wife. ‘What can we give Chrissie to do?’
‘We need a fortune-teller. Elsie is too frail to do it now.’
Chrissie studied their faces, certain they must be joking.
‘Good idea,’ Pa agreed.
They weren’t joking! ‘I can’t tell fortunes,’ she protested. ‘It would be taking money under false pretences. I don’t have a gift like that.’
‘Have a talk with Elsie,’ Sandy suggested. ‘She’ll show you how to read people to tell if they are happy, worried or even desperate when they come to the tent. You’ll tell them things to make them feel better and give them encouragement to deal with whatever problems they have. If you feel they’ve just come to you for a bit of fun – which many do – then tell them something good is coming their way.’
She pulled a face in disgust. ‘Like a tall dark stranger?’
‘If you think it’s appropriate,’ Sandy said, amused at her expression.
‘I couldn’t do that; it’s dishonest. I’m good with horses,’ she added hopefully.
‘You can help look after them as well.’ Pa’s gaze held hers. ‘You work as a fortune-teller when we stop, and care for the animals when we are on the move. Those are our conditions, Chrissie.’
‘Before you refuse’ – Ma placed her hand on Chrissie’s arm when it looked as if she was going to leave – ‘have a talk with Elsie first.’
‘All right,’ she agreed, reluctant to give up this chance to travel with them.
Although very advanced in years and frail, Elsie’s eyes were bright and alert. When Ma explained that they were trying to get Chrissie to take over from her, she nodded and studied the girl in front of her for some moments before breaking into a huge smile. ‘A good choice. Sit down, my dear, and show me your hands.’
Chrissie sighed inwardly. This was a mistake and she would have to find another way to get out of London. Not wanting to offend the older woman she smiled and started to stand up. ‘I’m sorry to have wasted your time. I’ll be on my way.’
‘Are you too proud to hear what an old lady has to say?’
‘I’m not the right person for this. I couldn’t take money from people and tell them lies.’
‘Indulge me, Chrissie. What harm can it do? This will just be a bit of fun between friends.’
‘Come on,’ Sandy urged, holding the chair for her to sit down again. ‘Don’t throw away this chance without finding out all you can first.’
He was right, of course, she recognised, as she sat at the table and held out her hands.
Elsie took hold of them, frowning, and studied them for a moment. ‘Hmm. These are hard-working hands, and very interesting. You will eventually get what you want from life, and perhaps more than you could have dreamt of. Someone very powerful is coming to you. He will adore you and you will feel the same about him. He will have a devilish sense of humour and be hard to deal with, but his affection for you will have him bowing in submission.’
Chrissie shook her head. This was a load of nonsense! ‘I suppose he will be tall, dark and handsome and we will marry.’ It was hard to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.
‘He is indeed tall, dark and handsome.’ Elsie looked at Chrissie with a faraway look in her eyes. ‘But you can’t possibly marry him. You see, he is a horse.’
‘A horse!’ She stared at the fortune-teller in astonishment, and then dissolved into helpless laughter. It had been some time since she had relaxed and as she wiped away the tears of amusement a strange thing happened. The trauma of the last few weeks dropped away from her like a heavy cloak falling to the ground.
Elsie was watching her intently. ‘You’ve had a tough time, so do you feel better now, my dear?’
‘Yes, I do,’ she admitted. ‘That is the first time I’ve laughed like that in weeks.’
‘If you had given me a coin would you have felt cheated?’
She thought about that for a moment and then shook her head. ‘I’d have been amused – even entertained by the story you have just made up.’
‘You think I made it up?’
‘Of course, but it was very good. However, you haven’t convinced me I could do this.’
‘Then I shall have to try harder.’ The fortune-teller then removed a cloth to reveal a crystal ball. ‘Look into that and tell me what you see.’
She pulled the crystal ball towards her, prepared to play the game now and gazed at the object, scepticism apparent on her face. After a while she looked up and grinned. ‘It’s very pretty but it is just a piece of stone.’
‘It’s quartz crystal, my dear,’ Elsie replied calmly. ‘It’s a very special kind of stone. Relax, clear your mind of all those doubts and try again.’
‘This is just a waste of time,’ she protested.
‘Give it one more try,’ the elderly woman urged. ‘I’m sure you have the talent, but your disbelief is blocking it. Concentrate on looking to the middle of the crystal.’
With a shrug, believing this was a complete waste of time, she tried to look in to the depths of the crystal. ‘What a shame; it’s all cloudy inside, and I didn’t notice that the first time,’ she exclaimed, not taking her eyes from the ball.
‘What is in the mist?’
‘Nothing … Oh, there’s a big house there,’ she laughed. ‘That’s clever.’
‘Look again.’
She did as asked and shook her head. ‘I can’t see it now. How did you do that?’
‘I didn’t do anything. That was your future you saw.’
‘Well, I’ll certainly be kept busy scrubbing all those floors,’ she joked. ‘This has been fun, but if you will excuse me, I have to find another job.’
Elsie put her hand on her arm to stop her leaving. ‘Tonight we will be moving on and won’t make camp again for another three days, so give me that time to show you the art of telling fortunes. Then do one session with the public, and if you still feel the same after that you needn’t do it again. I am sure Pa can keep you busy with other things while we are travelling.’
Chrissie glanced across at Pa and then back to Elsie. ‘I was told I couldn’t travel with you unless I took on the fortune-telling.’
‘Don’t take any notice of Pa,’ she waved a dismissive hand. ‘This is between you and me. No one will force you to do anything you don’t want to. All I’m asking is that you try it once at our next stop. What do you say?’
‘I’d be willing to do that.’ She looked hopefully at Pa again and was relieved when he nodded. This was her chance to get out of London and she had to take it.
‘Good.’ Elsie was clearly delighted. ‘Go and get your things. You can share my home. I’ll be glad of the company.’
&nb
sp; Chapter Five
After saying goodbye to Pat and her family and wishing them well, she went back to the field just in time to help them pack up. There was a lot to do so they would be ready to move off first thing the next day.
She slept well in Elsie’s cosy home and in the morning enjoyed helping to hitch up the horses. Sandy was driving the caravan as Elsie was no longer able to do this for herself, and Chrissie was excited as they started their journey. She was going to get out of London now, and in a way she would never have imagined. A slight smile appeared on her face as she wondered what her dad would think about this. He would be laughing, she was sure.
‘I used to drive the horse and cart for my dad sometimes,’ she told Sandy. ‘If you would show me how to manage the caravan it would save you doing it.’
He immediately handed the reins over to her and began giving instructions. They had been on the road for two hours when they stopped on a spare piece of ground.
‘Time to water the horses and ourselves. Put the kettle on, Elsie,’ he called as he jumped down. He held out a hand for Chrissie and grinned. ‘It’s always the animals before us. Without them we would be stuck in one place.’
That was the routine for the day, and by the time they camped for the night Sandy declared she was a natural and could handle the caravan on her own. It was very different from the horse and cart, and she was quite proud of the achievement.
Over the next three days she saw the scenery begin to change from crowded London streets to open spaces, and the autumn colour of the trees made her stare in wonder at their beauty. She had learnt so much in a very short time and the children had even taught her to ride bareback whenever they took the horses to a stream to drink. Much to her surprise she found it easy and soon tried to compete with the youngsters in their races and games. They thought that was huge fun and shouted encouragement as they urged her on, laughing as they ran to her help whenever she came off – which wasn’t rare at first. She would have been completely happy if it wasn’t for the fortune-telling hanging over her head. Elsie instructed her every night and gave her high praise, but she was not happy about attempting it; in fact, she was dreading the next day. She had made Elsie a promise, though, and wouldn’t let her down. Still, it was a comfort to know it would only be the one time, because she was certain she was going to be terrible at it. Once that was over she could relax and enjoy the journey. This was the first time she had been out of London and there were so many new wonders to see.
When Midnight Comes Page 3
